UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERSONALITY TRAITS AND OCCUPATIONAL SELF-EFFICACY WITH CAREER

INTERESTS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

ABDULLAH SEIF ABDULLAH

FPP 2001 6

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERSONALITY TRAITS AND OCCUPATIONAL SELF-EFFICACY WITH CAREER INTERESTS AMONG

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

By

ABDULLAH SElF ABDULLAH

Thesis Submitted in Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Educational Studies

Univeniti Putra Malaysia

November 2001

DEDICATION

This thesis is dedicated to my late mother Amina Mohamed AI Bahsan, father Seif

Abdullah AI Miskry, and sister Maryam Seif AI Miskry who always inspired me to

study and spent as much as they could for my comfort and success. May God bless

them.

ii

Abstract of thesis presented to the Senate ofUniversiti Putra Malaysia in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERSONALITY TRAITS AND OCCUPATIONAL SELF-EFFICACY WITH CAREER INTERESTS AMONG

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

By

ABDULLAH SElF ABDULLAH

November 2001

Chairman: Professor Othman Dato' Haji Mohamed, Ph.D.

Faculty: Educational Studies.

This study investigated the relationship between personality traits and occupational self-

efficacy with career interests among Malaysian university students. The demographic

factors associated with students' occupational self-efficacy and career interests were

also determined. The study had provided more insights on students' behaviour that

could enhance the alleviation of social and academic maladjustment among students

and increase their academic achievement. In addition, the findings of this study were

likely to enhance job satisfaction, quality services, and productivity. The research

questions and hypotheses determined the following objectives of the study:

1. The identification of students' occupational self-efficacy expectations, career

interests patterns, prevalent personality traits and their relationship.

2. The relationship between personality traits, occupational self-efficacy, and career

interests with the extraneous variables.

iii

3. The relationship between personality traits and occupational self-efficacy with career

interests after controlling for the demographic variables.

The population of the study comprised the second and third year Malaysian

undergraduate students. Accordingly, based on the knowledge disciplines, 238 subjects

were selected from UPM, HUM, and UTM using the cluster random sampling. The

Occupational Self-Efficacy Scale (OSES), Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI), and

Personality Research Form (PRF) were used in the data collection to measure

occupational self-efficacy, career interests, and personality traits respectively. The

computer program software, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used in

the data analysis. The statistical techniques used were Pearson and Point-Biserial

correlation, ANOV A, MANOV A, and the Multiple Regression.

The results indicated that students in general bad moderate levels of occupational self­

efficacy whereby male students were more confident in nontraditional occupation and

sceptical in traditional occupations. In addition, the findings indicated that the largest

group of students preferred social and investigative careers and very few were interested

in realistic, artistic, and conventional careers. The most prevalent career patterns among

participants were represented by the following Holland codes ISE, IER, ErS, SEl, SIB,

and SlR.. Moreover, the fmdings suggested that Engineering students were highly

associated with achievement and understanding traits whereby Law students had high

degree of dominance and aggression traits. The Economic and management students

were associated with nurturance, order· and cognitive structure traits. In contrast,

Medical students were highly associated with achievement, change, and cognitive

iv

structure. Moreover, affiliation and social recognition traits were dominant among

Education students whereas the aggressive personality trait was prevalent among

Agriculture students. Furthermore, students' personality traits that were significantly

related with their career interests were achievement (I), affiliation (R, I, S), change (R,

A), nurturance (S, E), order (S, C), social recognition (R, I) and understanding (I).

These findings were consistent with the previous studies by Holland (1985) and

Lidholm and Touliatos (1995).

Significant relationship was also found between occupational self-efficacy and career

interests. These findings were supported by the previous studies by Lent, et. aI. ( 1986)

and Bores-Rangel, et. aI. ( 1990). When the personality traits were examined, only

cognitive structure and dominance personality traits were significantly related to

occupational self-efficacy. Nonsignificant difference was found between occupational

self-efficacy expectations and student's faculty, major field of study, ethnicity, and

socio-economic status. Also, nonsignificant relationship was found between

occupational self-efficacy and age, gender, and home location. Yet, the findings

suggested a significant relationship between occupational self-efficacy and students'

year of study and significant difference between occupational self-efficacy of different

groups of occupational consideration. A significant difference was found between

career interests of students from different faculties, major field of studies, and

occupational preferences. In addition. a significant relationship between career interests

with gender and home location was found. Finally, the stepwise multiple regression

revealed that the personality traits, occupational self -efficacy and some demographic

variables have significant linear relationship with career interests.

v

Abstrak tesis ini adalah untuk Lembaga Senat UniversitiPutra Malaysia bagi memenuhi kepeduan untuk Ijazah dalam Doktor Falsafa.

PERHUBUNGAN ANTARA TRAIT PERSONALITI DAN KECEKAPAN SWADIRI DALAM PEKERJAAN DENGAN MINAT KERJAYA

DI KALANGAN PELAJAR UNIVERSITI

Ole:

ABDULLAH SElF ABDULLAH

November 2001

Penyelia : Profesor Othman Dato' Haji Mohamed, Ph.D.

Fakulti : Pengajian Pendidikan.

Penyelidikan ini mengkaji perhubungan di antara trait personaliti, kecekapan swadiri

dengan minat keJjaya. Faktor demografi yang berkaitan dengan kecekapan swadiri

dalam pekerjaan dan minat kerja juga telah dikenal pasti. Kajian ini telah dapat

mengemukakan wawasan ke atas perlakuan pelajar dalam mengurangkan ketidak

sesuaian akademik serta sosial di kalangan pelajar di samping meningkat prestasi

akademik mereka. Sehubungan ini,' dapatan kajian kemungkinan akan dapat

meningkatkan kepuasan dalam pekerjaan, kualiti perkhidmatan dan produktiviti.

Persoalan kajian dan hipotesis kajian ini ditetapkan berasaskan objektif kajian seperti

berikut:

1. Perhubungan antara jangkaan kecekapan swadiri pelajar dalam

pekerjaan, pola minat kerjaya dan trait personaliti mereka.

2. Perhubungan antara trait personaliti, kecekapan swadiri dan minat

kerjaya dengan pemboleh ubah extraneous.

3. Perhubungan antara trait personaliti, kecekapan swadiri dan minat keJja

vi

setelah mengawal pemboleh ubah demograti.

Populasi kajian adalah dari kalangan pelajar universiti tabun dua dan tiga. Seramai 238

subjek telah dipilih secara rawak berkelompok berasaskan disiplin pengetahuan mereka

dari UPM, HUM dan UTM. Alat kajian The Occupational Self-Efficacy Scale (OSES),

Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI), dan Personality Research Form (PRF) telah

digunakan bagi pengumpulan data untuk mengukur kecekapan swadiri dalam pekeIjaan,

minat keIjaya dan trait personaliti. Perisian program komputer, Statistical Package for

the Social Sciences (SPSS) telah diguna dalam menganalisis data. Teknik statistik yang

diguna adalah korelasi Pearson dan Point Biserial, ANOV A, MANOV A dan Regresi

Pelbagai.

Hasil kajian menunjukkan secara amnya pelajar mempunyai tahap kecekapan swadiri

dalam pekeIjaan yang sederhana di mana pelajar lelaki lebih yakin dalam pekeIjaan

bukan tradisional dan bersikap curiga terhadap pekeIjaan tradisionaL Dapatan kajian

juga menunjukkan bahawa kumpulan terbesar di kalangan pelajar memilih keIjaya

investigative dan bilangan yang kecil menunjukkan minat dalam keIjaya realistik,

artistik dan konvensional. Pola kerjaya yang paling kerap di kalangan peserta diwakili

dengan kod Holland ISE, IER, EIS, SEI, SIB dan SIR. Sehubungan ini, dapatan

menunjukkan bahawa pelajar Kejuruteraan mempunyai perkaitan yang tinggi dengan

trait pencapaian dan pemahaman, manakala pelajar jurusan Undang-undang mempunyai

trait agresi dan darjah dominan yang tinggi. Pelajar jurusan Ekonomi dan pengurusan

dikaitkan dengan trait pengasuhan, teratur dan berstruktur kognitif. Berlainan pula

dengan pelajar Perubatan yang dikaitkan dengan trait pencapaian, perubahan dan

VII

kognitif yang tinggi. Oi samping itu trait penyatuan dan pengiktirafan sosial adalah

dominan di kalangan pelajar jurusan Pendidikan manakala pelajar jurusan Pertanian

dikenal pasti dengan trait yang paling agresif Dapatan kajian juga menunjukkan

bahawa trait personaliti pelajar yang mempunyai kaitan signifikan dengan minat kerjaya

dan pencapaian adalah pencapaian (I), penyatuan (R, I, S), perubahan (R, A),

pengasuhan (S, E), teratur (S, C), pengiktirafan sosial (R, I) dan kefahaman (I). Dapatan

ini adalah kekal dengan kajian lepas yang dijalankan oleh Holland (1985) dan Lidholm

dan Touliatos (1995).

Perhubungan yang signifikan juga telah dikenal pasti di antara kecekapan swadiri dalam

pekerjaan dan minat kerjaya. Dapatan ini disokong oleh kajian lepas oleh Lent, et. aI.

(1986) dan Bores-Rangel et. al. (1990). Apabila trait personaliti dikaji, hanya trait

personaliti pengstukturan kognitif dan dominan mempunyai perkaitan yang signifikan

dengan kecekapan swadiri dalam pekerjaan. Dapatan perhubungan tidak signifikan

diperolehi antara jangkaan kecekapan swadiri dalam pekerjaan dengan jurusan

pengajian pelajar, bidang pengkhususan pelajar, etnik dan status sosio-ekonomi.

Sehubungan ini juga dapatan perhubungan yang tidak signifikan diperolehi antara

kecekapan swadiri dalam pekerjaan dengan umur, genus dan lokasi kediaman. Namun,

kajian menunjukkan wujud perhubungan yang signifikan antara kecekapan swadiri

dalam pekerjaan dengan tabun pengajian pelajar dan juga perhubungan yang signifikan

antara kecekapan swadiri dalam pekerjaan dari perbezaan kumpulan pekerjaan.

Perbezaan signifikan diperolehni diantara minat kerjaya pelajar dari fakulti yang

berbeza, bidang pengajian major dan pilihan pekerjaan. Di samping itu, terdapat

viii

perhubungan yang signifikan diantara minat kerjaya dengan genus dan lokasi tempat

kediaman. Pada akhimya, regresi pelbagai secara stepwise menunjukkan bahawa trait

personaliti, kecekapan swadiri dalam pekerjaan dan beberapa pemboleh ubah demografi

mempunyai perhubungan linear yang signifikan dengan minat kerjaya.

ix

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It is my genuine pleasure to acknowledge the contribution of the many people who

participated in making this dissertation successful. Particular thanks are due to those

who worked tirelessly at guiding and constructively criticizing every step of my work. I

would like to acknowledge the sincere efforts and support given by the committee

Chairman particularly, Professor Dr. Othman Mohamed, and the committee members of

this research, Assoc. Professor Dr. Abdul Rahim Bakar and Professor Dr. Abdul Majid

Mohd lsa for their tremendous technical contributions.

In addition, I would like to express my gratitude to the panel of languages and

measurements experts for their valuable comments and suggestions (see Appendix C). I

am also indebted to the Deans of the faculties where data were collected in llUM,

UTM, and UPM for their permission to allow the data collection from their students. I

also acknowledge with profound gratitude the financial support provided by the El

Farouq Foundation for without it this work could hardly be materialised.

Likewise, I would like to express my gratitude to the Ministry of Education, Zanzibar

for granting me a permission to pursue the higher studies. I am equally grateful to my

wife and children for their support, endurance and perseverance through all the tough

times they experienced while I was preparing this work. Finally, I would like to

acknowledge all types of support rendered to me financially, technically, and morally

from other parties not mentioned herein that helped to make this project a success.

"

I certify that an Examination Committee met on 2nd November 2001 to conduct the final examination of Abdullah Seif Abdullah on his Doctor of Philosophy thesis entitled "The Relationship between Personality Traits and Occupational Self-Efficacy with Career Interests among University Students" in accordance with Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (Higher Degree) Act1980 and Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (Higher Degree) Regulations 1981. The Committee recommends that the candidate be awarded the relevant degree. Members of the Examination Committee are as follows:

Halimatun Halaliah binti Mokhtar, Ph.D. Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia. (Chairperson)

Othman Dato' Haji Mohamed, Ph.D. Professor, Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia. (Member)

Abdul Rahim Bakar, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia. (Member)

Abdul Majid Mohd Isa, Ph.D. Professor, School of Education and Social Development, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. (Member)

Rohani Nasir, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, National University Malaysia. (Independent Examiner)

AINI IDERIS, Ph.D. Professor/ Deputy Dean of Graduate School, Universiti Putra Malaysia.

Date: 1 8 JAN 2002

xi

This thesis submitted to the Senate ofUniversiti Putra Malaysia has been accepted as fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

AINI IDERIS, Ph.D. Professor, Dean of Graduate school, Universiti Putra Malaysia.

Date:

xii

I hereby declare that the thesis is based on my original work except for quotations and citations that have been duly acknowledged. I also declare that it has not been previously or concurrently submitted for any other degree at UPM or other institutions.

�-Abdullah Seif Abdullah

Date: 1 &'1 '/2002

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION ABSTRACT ABSTRAK ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS APPROVAL SHEETS DECLARATION FORM TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

n

Background of the Study Theories of Vocational Behaviour Statement of the Problem The Conceptual Framework Objectives of the Study

Research Questions Hypotheses Operational Definitions ofthe Terms Significance of the Study

REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE Introduction Holland's Theory

Key Concepts Roe's Theory of Career Choice Super's Theory of Career Development Social Cognitive Theory

Self-Efficacy Antecedents Self-Concept and Self-Efficacy

Summary Personality Traits Personality Traits and Vocational Interests Congruence between Vocation and Interest Personality and Environment Gender and Vocational Interests Ethnicity, Culture and Vocational Interests Environment and Vocational Interests Career Self-Efficacy Expectations

Page 11

III VI x

Xl Xlll XIV

XVll XXl

XXll

1 1 7 9

12 14

15 16 20 22

24 24 24 30 35 40 42 46 48 49 51 53 60 62 64 69 72 73

xiv

m RESEARCH METHOD 96 Introduction 96 Research Design 97

Sampling 99 Sample Size 10 1 Instrumentation 106 Research Questionnaire 107 Section A: Demographic Data 107 Section B: Occupational Self-Efficacy Scale 107 Reliability and Validity 108 Administration and Scoring 1 10 Section C: Vocational Preferences Inventory 11 1 Reliability and Validity 1 13 Scoring the VPI 1 14 Section D: Personality Research Form 1 15 PRF Administration 120 Scoring PRF 12 1 PRF Reliability and Validity 122 Data Collection 123 Data Analysis 123

IV RESULTS 130 Introduction 130 Descriptive Analysis 132

Occupational Self-Efficacy Level 140 Occupational Self-Efficacy Strength 158 Career Interests Patterns 180 Prevalent Personality Traits among University Students 195

Inferential Analysis 2 12 The Relationship between Personality Traits and Career Interests 2 12 Relationship between Achievement Trait and Career Interests 2 14 Relationship between Affiliation Trait and Career Interests 2 16 Relationship between Aggressive Trait and Career Interests 2 18 Relationship between Change Trait and Career Interests 218 Relationship between Cognitive Structure Trait and Career Interests 221 Relationship between Dominance Trait and Career Interests 221 Relationship between Endurance Trait and Career Interests 222 Relationship between Nurturance Trait and Career Interests 223 Relationship between Order Trait and Career Interests 225 Relationship between Social Recognition Trait and Career Interests 227 Relationship between Understanding Trait and Career Interests 229 Relationship between Occupational Self-Efficacy and Career Interests 23 1

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Relationship between Students' Personality Trait and Their . Occupational Self-Efficacy 232

Students' Occupational Self-Efficacy Differences According to Their Demographic Variables 237 The Occupational Self-Efficacy Differences among Students of Various Major Fields of Study 239 The Relationship Between Age and Occupational Self-Efficacy 241 The Occupational Self-Efficacy Differences Across Students' Ethnicity 24 1 The Occupational Self-Efficacy Differences Among Students' Socio-economic Groups 243 The Relationship between students' Home Location and Their Occupational Self-Efficacy 244 The Relationship between students' Year of Study and Their Occupational Self-Efficacy 244 The Occupational Self-Efficacy Differences Among Students' Occupational Preference Groups 245 The Personality Traits Differences Across Students' Demographic Variables 247 Students' Career Interests Across Their Demographic Variables 258 The Relationship Between Personality Traits and Occupational Self-Efficacy with Career Interests After Controlling For Demographic Variables 276 The Multiple Regression Equation 298

V DISCUSSION, SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION 3 1 5 Summary 366 Recommendation 379 BmLIOGRAPHY 383

Appendix At: Occupational Self-Efficacy Scale 393 Appendix A2: Vocational Preference Inventory 398 Appendix A3: Personality Research Form 403 Appendix B: Exploration Data Analysis (EDA) 416 Appendix C: Panel of Measurements and Language Experts 436 Appendix D: Application and Permission Letters 437 Appendix E: Author Bio-Data 458

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LIST OF TABLES

Table Page 1 Variables and Statistical Techniques For each Hypothesis 128 2 Students' Distribution According to Their Faculties and Gender 133 3 The Distribution of Students' ethnicity Across Gender 134 4 Students' Ethnicity across Major Fields of Study 135 5 Distribution of Students' Major Fields of study across Gender 137 6 Distribution of Students' Ethnicity across Considered Occupation 139 7 Traditional and Nontraditional Occupations 140 8 Means and Standard Deviations of Students' Self-Efficacy Levels

Across Faculties 145 9 The Distribution of Occupational Self-Efficacy Levels Across Gender 146 10 The Distribution of Occupational Self-Efficacy Levels Across Year of

Study 147 11 The Distribution of Students' Occupational Self-Efficacy Levels

Across Ethnicity 149 12 The Distribution of Students' Occupational Self-Efficacy Levels

Across Home Location 150 13 The Distribution of Students' Occupational Self-Efficacy Levels

Across Socio-Economic Status 151 14 The Distribution of Students' Occupational Self-Efficacy Levels

Across Major Fields of Study 153 15 The Distribution of Students' Occupational Self-Efficacy Levels

Across Their Considered Occupations 156 16 The Distribution of Students' Occupational Self-Efficacy Strength

Across Their Faculties 161 17 The Distribution of Students' Occupational Self-Efficacy Strength

Across Gender 163 18 The Distribution of Students' Occupational Self-Efficacy Strength

Across Their Years of Study 165 19 The Distribution of Students' Occupational Self-Efficacy Strength

Across Ethnicity 167 20 The Distribution of Students' Occupational Self-Efficacy Strength

Across Home Location 168 21 The Distribution of Students' Occupational Self-Efficacy Strength

Across Socio-economic Status 170 22 The Distribution of Students' Occupational Self-Efficacy Strength

Across Their Major Fields of Study 172 23 The Distribution of Students' Occupational Self-Efficacy Strength

Across Their Considered Occupations 177 24 Holland's Codes Across Students' Faculties 181 2.5 Students Career Interests Patterns· Across Faculties 183 26 The Distribution of Students' Career Interests Patterns Across Gender 184 27 The Distribution of Student's Career Interests Patterns Across

Ethnicity 186

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28 Students Career Interests Patterns Across Home Location 187 29 The Distribution of Students' Career Interests Across Their Major

Fields of Study 190 30 The Distribution of Students' Career Interests Across Their

Considered Occupations 194 31 The Distribution of Personality Traits Across Faculty 198

32 The Distribution of Personality Traits Across Gender 199 33 The Distribution of Personality Traits Across Ethnicity 201 34 The Distribution of Personality Traits Across Students' Home

Location 202 35 The Distribution of Personality Traits Across Students' Socio-

economic Status 204 36 The Distribution of Personality Traits Across Major Fields of Studies 206 37 The Distribution of Personality Traits Across Considered Occupations 210 38 Correlation Matrices of the Relationship between Personality Traits,

Occupational Self-efficacy and Career Interests 213 39 Relationship between Achievement Trait and Career Interests 216 40 Relationship between Affiliation Traits and Career Interests 218 41 Relationship between Aggression Trait and Career Interests 218 42 Relationship between Change Trait and Career Interests 221 43 Relationship between Cognitive Structure Trait and Career Interests 221 44 Relationship between Dominance Trait and Career Interests 222 45 Relationship between Endurance Trait and Career Interests 223 46 Relationship between Nurturance Trait and Career Interests 225 47 Relationship between Order Trait and Career Interests 227 48 Relationship between Social Recognition Trait and Career Interests 229 49 Relationship between Understanding Trait and Career Interests 230 50 Relationship between Occupational Self-Efficacy and Career Interests 231 51 Relationship between Personality Traits and Occupational Self-

Efficacy 236 52 Means and Standard Deviations of Students' Occupational Self-

Efficacy by Faculty 238 53 The Analysis of variance of Students' Occupational Self- Efficacy by

Faculty 238 54 Means and Standard Deviations of Students' Occupational Self-

Efficacy by major Fields of Study 240 55 The Analysis of variance of Students' Occupational Self- Efficacy by

major Field of Study 240 56 The Relationship between Age and Gender and Occupational Self-

efficacy 241 57 Means and Standard Deviations of Students' Occupational Self-

Efficacy by Ethnicity 242 58 The Analysis of variance of Students' Occupational Self- Efficacy by

Ethnicity 242 59 Means and Standard Deviations of Students' Occupational Self-

Efficacy by Socio-economic Status 243

xviii

60 The Analysis of variance of Students' Occupational Self- Efficacy by Socio-economic Status 244

61 The Relationship between Students' Home Location, study Year and Their Occupational Self-efficacy 245

62 Means and Standard Deviations of Students' Occupational Self-Efficacy by Occupational Preferences Socio-economic Status 246

63 The Analysis of variance of Students' Occupational Self- Efficacy by Occupational Preferences 246

64 The MANOY A of Students Personality Traits by faculty 248 65 The Multiple ANOYA Follow-up test of Personality Traits by faculty 249 66 The MANOY A of Students Personality Traits by major Field of Study 250 67 The Multiple ANOY A Follow-up test of Personality Traits by Major

Field of Study 251 68 The Correlation Matrices of the Relationship between Gender and

Personality Traits 252 69 The MANOY A of Students Personality Traits by Ethnicity 253 70 The Multiple ANOY A Follow-up test of Personality Traits by Socio-

economic Status 254 71 The MANOY A of Students Personality Traits by Socio-economic

Status 255 72 The Multiple ANOVA Follow-up test of Personality Traits by Socio-

economic Status 255 73 The Correlation Matrices of the Relationship between Home Location

and Personality Traits 256 74 The MANOY A of Students Personality Traits by Occupational

Preferences 257 75 The Multiple ANOY A Follow-up test of Personality Traits by

Occupational Preferences 258 76 The MANOYA of Students' Career Interests by Faculty 261 77 The Multiple ANOYA Follow-up test of Students' Career Interests by

Faculty 261 78 The Bonferroni Multiple Comparison of students' career Interests by

Faculty 262 79 The MANOYA of Students' Career Interests by major field of study 264 80 The Multiple ANOYA Follow-up test of Students' Career Interests by

Major Field of study 264 81 The Correlation Matrices of the Relationship between Age and Career

Interests 267 82 The Correlation Matrices of the Relationship between Gender and

Career Interests 269 83 The MANOY A of Students' Career Interests by Ethnicity 270 84 The MANOYA of Students' Career Interests by SQcio-economic

Status 271 85 The relationship between Home Location and Career Interests 272

86 The MANOVA of Students' Career Interests by Occupational

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Preference 275 87 The Multiple ANOV A Follow-up test of Students' Career Interests by

Occupational Preference 275 88 The Bonferroni Multiple Comparison of students' career Interests by

Occupational Preferences 275 89 Multiple Regression Correlation Matrices of Realistic Career Interests

of Significant variables 280 90 Multiple Regression Correlation Matrices of Investigative Career

Interests of Significant variables 284 91 Multiple Regression Correlation Matrices of Artistic Career Interests

of Significant variables 286 92 Multiple Regression Correlation Matrices of Social Career Interests of

Significant variables 290 93 Multiple Regression Correlation Matrices of Enterprising Career

Interests of Significant variables 294 94 Multiple Regression Correlation Matrices of Conventional Career

Interests of Significant variables 298 95 The Analysis of variance and R2 of Demographic variables,

Personality Traits, and Occupational Self-Efficacy in the Regression of Realistic Career Interests 300

96 The Contribution of the Partial Regression Coefficient and the Beta Weights in the Regression Equation 301

97 The Analysis of variance and R2 of Demographic variables, Personality Traits, and Occupational Self-Efficacy in the Regression of Investigative Career Interests 303

98 The Contribution of the Partial Regression Coefficient and the Beta Weights in the Regression Equation 303

99 The Analysis of variance and R2 of Demographic variables, Personality Traits, and Occupational Self-Efficacy in the Regression of Artistic Career Interests 305

100 The Contribution of the Partial Regression Coefficient and the Beta Weights in the Regression Equation 305

101 The Analysis of variance and R2 of Demographic variables, Personality Traits, and Occupational Self-Efficacy in the Regression of Social Career Interests 307

102 The Contribution of the Partial Regression Coefficient and the Beta Weights in the Regression Equation 308

103 The Analysis of variance and R2 of Demograpbic variables, Personality Traits, and Occupational Self-Efficacy in the Regression of Enterprising Career Interests 309

104 The Contribution of the Partial Regression Coefficient and the Beta Weights in the Regression Equation 310

105 The Analysis of variance and R2 of Demographic variables, Personality Traits, and Occupational Self-Efficacy in the Regression of Conventional Career Interests 312

106 The Contribution of the Partial Regression Coefficient and the Beta

xx

Weights in the Regression Equation 312 107 The Zero Order Correlation Matrices of Significant Demographic

Variables, Career Interests, Personality Traits, and Occupational Self-efficacy 314

108 The Collinearity Tests Among Independent Variables 435

xxi

Figure 1

2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

LIST OF FIGURES

The Conceptual Framework of the Relationship between Personality Traits, Self-Efficacy and Career Interests among University Students The Hexagonal Model for Defining the Physiological Resemblance among Types and Environment and Their Interactions New Conceptual Framework Normal <L Q Plot for realistic Scale Realistic Variable Box-Plot Normal <L Q Plot for Investigative Scale Investigative Variable Box-Plot Normal <L Q Plot for Artistic Scale Artistic Variable Box-Plot Normal <L Q Plot for Social Scale Stem & Leaf Plot for Social Scale Social Variable Box-Plot Normal <L Q Plot for Enterprising Scale Enterprising Variable Box-Plot Normal <L Q Plot for Conventional Scale Conventional Variable Box Plot Stem & Leaf Plot for Logvarl0 Variable Logvarl0 Box- Plot Realistic Scale Distribution Investigative Scale Distribution Artistic Scale Distribution Social Scale Distribution Enterprising Scale Distribution Conventional Scale Distribution The Scatter-Plot of Realistic Career Interests The Scatter- Plot of Investigative Career Interests The Scatter -Plot of Artistic Career Interests The Scatter -Plot of Social Career Interests The Scatter -Plot of Enterprising Career Interests The Scatter -Plot of Conventional Career Interests

Page

13

32 365 419 419 420 420 421 421 422 422 423 423 424 424 425 426 426 427 428 428 429 429 430 430 431 431 432 432 433

xxii

A = Artistic career interest Ac = Achievement Af = Affiliation Ag = Aggression

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

C = Conventional career interest CAS = Career Attitude Scale Ch=Change CI = Career interests Cs = Cognitive Structure Do = Dominance DV = Demographic Variables E = Enterprising career interest EDA = Exploratory Data Analysis. En = Endurance I = Investigative career interest nUM = International Islamic University Malaysia. Nu = Nurturance Or=Order OSE = Occupational Self-Efficacy OSES = Occupational Self-Efficacy Scale PRF = Personality Research Form PSD = Public Services Department PT = Personality Trait R = Realistic career interest S = Social career interest Sr = Social Recognition Un = Understanding UPM = Universiti Putra Malaysia UTM = Universiti Teknologi Malaysia VPI = Vocational Preference Inventory

xxiii

CHAPTERl

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Among the likely problems to confront students at the end of their schooling is their

choice of work by which earning for living can be secured. Most times, people select

jobs on the basis of their experiences at home, school or society. For some, it may be a

continuing and comfortable experience. To most people, however, it is a completely

new experience mixed with many conflicts that confront individuals who are about to

start new jobs. As a result, a number of questions will come to mind that arise from

several aspects of human life, needs, aspiration, ability and self- concept (Super, 1957).

Despite all these inconveniences, in order to survive in this world we must have jobs

through which we would be able to get our basic needs such as food, shelter, clothes as

well as other physical and psychological needs that we perceive as very important in our

daily life. Maslow (1971) contended that our needs are divided into physical, biological,

and psychological needs. Many of these needs can be fulfilled through our jobs.

Although we have to work to earn a living, we cannot be happy and satisfied with our

jobs if they do not serve our interests (Holland, 1985). Hence, interest is a very

important element in selecting a career because without it job satisfaction cannot be

attained. Based on this view, a large number of researches have been conducted that

indicated strong association between career interest and job satisfaction (Holland, 1985;

Gottfredson, 1996).